Whatever he drugged me with worked rapidly, and before I knew what was happening, my body was limp and he was carrying me to a van parked at the end of the alley.
“Why are you doing this?” I slurred, willing my heavy eyelids to not close.
Nothing. No response.
As he tossed me into the back of the blacked-out van, everything faded to darkness.
Chapter 1
Reese
Seven years later
Sweat dripped from my forehead onto the concrete floor, pooling at my feet. The industrial fan whined in the background of the scorching shop, pushing around the sweltering air. It was stifling, overwhelming, and pissing me the hell off, but without a running bike, I felt useless.
In the early morning hours on a Sunday, the mechanic shop I helped run was dead. Everyone else was off nursing a hangover from our celebration the night before, but I’d barely taken part in it. Yes, it was a victory, but I didn’t consider the bloodshed something to celebrate like the rest of my brethren did.
We were outlaws—we did what we had to do to keep our family safe. It was a necessary evil of the life we chose to live.
I was a killer, had been my entire adult life, but I didn’t take pleasure in it. I didn’t get anything out of it. Maybe I was dead inside. Maybe I had been born heartless. Who the fuck knows? I sure as shit had no fucking idea and couldn’t give less of a fuck. It was just stitched into my DNA, and I embraced the talent wholeheartedly.
Grabbing the cleanest rag I could find, I wiped my brow as salty beads of sweat threatened my vision.
“Reese Hardgrave?” a singsong voice called through the open bay door of the shop.
Standing, I stretched out my back before starting to walk over to the well-dressed, middle-aged woman. “Who’s asking?”
Her heels clicked on the dirty floor as she extended her hand out to me. “Sandra Nichols. I am Jett Cowen’s attorney. I was sent to deliver a letter to you.”
After shaking her hand, I looked into her soft, honey-colored eyes. “He all right?”
I hadn’t heard that name spoken in over seven years, not since we were at Fort Benning together in the 75th Ranger Regiment gearing up for our second deployment together.
As Sandra bowed her head, pursing her lips slowly, my heart sank.
“Is he dead?” I choked on my words as I spoke them.
Her head shot up as her eyes got wide. “No,” she replied quickly. “Just in a bit of trouble.”
Pulling a sealed envelope out of her bag, she bit her dark cherry covered lip.
“What’s it say?”
Her shoulders tensed. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Mr. Cowen is not very forthcoming, to say the least. I honestly am at a loss with that man. I traveled quite a long way to deliver this to you, Reese, and I really hope it was worth the trip.”
“Why not just have it couriered over to me or something?” I asked, staring at the thin parcel in my grasp.
“Mr. Cowen insisted that it go from my hands to yours. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, so here I am.” She crossed her arms over her chest pushing her tits almost into her slender ching, eyeing me as I ripped open the seal and stared at Jett’s frantic chicken scratch scrawled on the loose-leaf paper.
Reese,
I know we haven’t spoken in years, but you’re the only one I can trust right now. I found her. After all these years, after they all swore she was dead, after everyone told me I was batshit crazy, after everything—I finally found my sister. I can’t explain everything in this letter, but go to the house at the end of Elm Street, the same one we threw that crazy party at before we left for basic training. The code will be easy enough to figure out for the back door. All of the information is there in the rolltop desk in the basement. Get to her. With me locked up, you’re my last hope. I got too close this time and I am scared that son of a bitch is going to kill her now. Keep her safe until I get out of this hellhole. I am trusting you, brother. She is all I have left. You always had my back all those years ago. I know this is a lot to ask, but you’re the only one who can save her.
Hooah,
Jett
P.S. Rangers lead the way